The conference was a bore. As usual. But Jessica took no notice whatsoever. Her entire mind was infused with Tiffany.

Tiffany on the stepladder reaching for ketchup. Tiffany laughing at one of her stupid jokes. Tiffany getting mad at her for yelling at Frumpy. Tiffany when she came out of the shower. Tiffany as she lay within Jessica’s arms. Tiffany as she screamed during her labor pains. Tiffany-Tiffany-Tiffany-Tiffany-TIFFANY!!!!!!

The brunette couldn’t get away from the vision of Tiffany being everywhere she went and it was driving her insane. The conference was eight days long and all seven nights spent there were torturously sleepless.

Jessica spent each and every waking hour trying to figure out why it was she felt the way she did for the younger woman. Was it because of Tiffany’s situation? Or was it because Jessica had been there for the birth of her baby? Or was it simply because Jessica liked Tiffany and everything else was extra?

Take everything out of the picture. Take out the sad past, the single-mom factor, the dreary job, the dead-end life. Take everything away; strip everything down to the bare basics. If Tiffany were a normal city girl like Jessica, financially stable, life going the way she had planned, successful and hopeful for a good future. Would Jessica have fallen for her?

What do you like about her Jessica Jung? What exactly do you like about her?

I like how she laughs at my stupid dorky jokes. I like how she thinks that the brown M&Ms are better than all the other colors because there’s less food coloring, I like that she’s not aware of how beautiful she is, I like the beautiful curve of her porcelain neck, I like the way her lips curve upwards a little to the left when I say something particularly stupid, I like the innocence she retains despite the world having beaten her down, I like…no I love how her eyes curve into crescent moons when she smiles, like she’s smiling just for me. She could be smiling at anyone else, but she isn’t, and it’s just for me.

So does that answer your question genius?

I like her…I like her for her. Oh my god! I LIKE HER!

Wrong again.

Huh?

The fact that you picked up on so many minute things in the course of such little time, points to more than a mere liking.

You’re saying I love her?

Perhaps not just there yet. But somewhere in between.

I like-love her…

If that’s what you wanna call it then…yea…

This is like some cheap- chick flick. I’ve never believed in that stupid ‘love at first sight’ crap. It’s all so fantastical it seems unreal, like it could evaporate at any second the moment I decide to go for it.

Would that stop you?

What?

Would it stop you? If it does turn out to be a ‘too good to be true’ scenario, would that stop you from trying?

No.

Then that’s settled isn’t it?

You’re a frickin’ genius.

I know.

I love you.

Hey-hey, let’s not be narcissistic now shall we? Just go get the damn girl and leave me the hell alone.

Thanks.

Whatever.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jessica had driven the exact same way she came even though there was a shorter route home. She needed to see Tiffany. She knew that now. And if Tiffany rejected her, Jessica knew she would be pretty broken up, but at least she could have said she tried.

Jessica’s car pulled into Tiffany’s driveway and the first thing she noticed was that Tiffany’s car wasn’t there. The silly woman didn’t go back to work just days after giving birth did she?! Jessica swore under her breath and raced out of the car to the front door. She stared at what was taped to the door.

A notice of eviction.

Date of action: two days ago.

Jessica was already sprinting back to her car. She sped down to the diner in hopes of finding Tiffany there. On her way there, she glanced to the side to see her ripped leather seats and the bare car floor. Jessica had thrown away the carpets after that night Tiffany had given birth. The brunette felt a pang of panic. Tiffany and the baby had to be ok. They just had to be.

Swinging her car dangerously fast into the parking lot of SOPHIE’S, Jessica didn’t even park her car and just ran Helter Skelter into the diner.

“Tiffany! Where’s Tiffany?!” the brunette desperately demanded.

Frumpy looked up from the cashier and sneered.

“What is she, your girlfriend now?”

“You listen here Frumpy, you tell me where that she is or I swear the cops will have nothing to identify you by. I can do a whole load of damage before anyone can get here. TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!!!!”

Frumpy’s eyes widened in fear. But to the woman’s credit, she held her ground and didn’t look away.

“Look. Boss fired her cause she couldn’t work anymore ok? I had nothing to do with it. If the stupid woman wasn’t so brainless as to get knocked up by the biggest jerk in town she wouldn’t be in this fix.”

“He fired her?! She just had a baby a few days ago! She has the right to paid maternity leave! Are you people barbarians?!”

“Like I said! That’s not on me! Last I saw, the woman was living out of her car. I have no idea where she is ok?”

“Ok. You tell your boss, that when I find her, I’m coming back to rip his balls off with my bare hands and shoving it down his ing throat,” Jessica threatened menacingly as she ran out of the diner.

“The pretty looking ones are always the cra